Carrick Rangers win the first corner of the afternoon inside the opening two minutes.

Referee Evan Boyce blows his whistle and Jack Malone gets the action under way at Mourneview Park.

Can Glenavon pick up their first points of the season or will Crusaders register their third victory on the road of the campaign?

Despite continuous rain in Ballymena this morning, there are no issues with the often-criticised Showgrounds pitch as referee Ian McNabb starts the action.

And we’re off in north Belfast.

An opportunity this afternoon for both sides to return to winning ways after stumbling last time out. Who'll come out on top?

Carrick's Aidan Steele gets us underway on an overcast autumn afternoon on the north coast.

Both teams come into the game on the back of a defeat.

Can either get back to winning ways today?

A reminder of this afternoon's four Irish Premiership games, minus the scheduled Glentoran v Larne top-of-the-table clash which has been postponed because of a waterlogged pitch.

Image source, BBC Sport

Ballymena boss Jim Ervin was disappointed with his side's performance in last week's 1-1 draw at Crusaders and responds by making three changes to his starting line-up.

Former Northern Ireland defender Danny Lafferty starts a league game for the first time this season, while Ali Gould and Kian Corbally are promoted from the bench. Daithi McCallion, Aaron Jarvis and Calvin McCurry are the players to make way.

Dungannon make just one change from the side which beat Cliftonville last week with Sean McAllister starting in place of Tomas Galvin.

Ballymena United: O'Neill, Toure, Gould, O'Donnell, Nelson, Clarke, Lafferty, Hood, Corbally, Kennedy, Edogun.

Subs: Breen, Jarvis, O'Reilly, McCurry, Thompson, McCallion, McNickle.

Dungannon Swifts: Dunne, Scott, Marron, Wallace, Glenny, Kelly, McAleese, Bigirimana, Dillon, McAllister, Junior.

Subs: Henderson, Knowles, McBrien, Alves, Maguire, Mitchell, Anderson.

Image source, BBC Sport

Two changes for the home side who look to get back to winning ways following last week's defeat at home to Glentoran.

Club captain Lyndon Kane is ruled out through injury while Matthew Shevlin starts on the bench.

In their place come Declan McManus and on-loan Lincoln City forward Zane Okoro, who makes his first start since joining in the summer.

Just the one change for the visitors following their defeat to Larne as midfielder Jack Scott, on loan from the Bannsiders, is ineligible to play against his parent club, Ryan Waide coming in.

Coleraine: Harris, Jarvis, Boyle, Lyons-Foster (c), Patching, Cooper, Ives, Glackin, McDonald, Okoro, McManus.

Subs: Hoey-Hemp, Long, McGregor, Shevlin, Doherty, Stewart, Devlin.

Carrick Rangers: Gartside, Burns, Callacher, Waide, Gibson, Maciulaitis, McCullough (c), Steele, Crowe, Snoddy, McKay.

Subs: Pengelly, Buchanan-Rolleston, Boyd, Cherry, James, Grills, McCawl.

Referee: Ben McMaster.

Image source, BBC Sport

Glenavon make three changes to the starting XI from last Saturday's defeat against Linfield with Stephen Mallon, Michael O'Connor and Corey Smith replacing Kyle McClelland, Kris Lowe and Paul McGovern

There are also three changes to the Crusaders side who drew with Ballymena last weekend. Brothers Odhran and Oli McCart come into the starting XI with Ryan Donnelly making his first start of the season.

They replace Finley Thorndike, who is now suspended for seven games after Crusaders' appeal for the ban to be overturned was rejected.

Lewis Barr and Fraser Bryden are both injured and miss out.

Glenavon: Carney, McMullan, Cartwright, McKeown, Malone, Carlin, Mallon, O'Kane, Smith, O'Connor, McDaid.

Subs: Byrne, Burns, Murphy, McClelland, Kee, Bosakani, McGovern.

Crusaders: Tuffey, Forsythe, O'Rourke, Odhran McCart, Williamson, Easton, Dunlop, Anderson, Oli McCart, Donnelly, Brooks.

Subs: Nimaga, Hamilton, Barr, Beattie, Harrison, Ritchie, Karrabecaj.

Image source, BBC Sport

The Reds come into this one without influential captain Rory Hale and defender Jonny Addis, both suspended after red cards in last week’s defeat by Dungannon Swifts.

Manager Jim Magilton makes five changes in total, drafting in Harry Wilson, Shaun Leppard, Conor Barr, Sean Robertson and Eric McWoods.

Conor Pepper, Hale, Addis, Ryan Curran and Adebayo Fapetu drop out as the home side looks to arrest back-to-back defeats.

The Ports make their way to Solitude this afternoon seeking a response after their 4-1 loss to Bangor.

Niall Currie introduces Rayhaan Tullock for Rhys Annett in attack.

Cliftonville: Morrison, Wilson, Leppard, Gordon, Gormley, Barr, Glynn, Casey, Robertson, Keaney, McWoods.

Subs: Ridd, Lavery, Curran, Falls, Bermingham, McCay, Sheridan.

Portadown: McCarey, Altintop, MacKinnon, L. Wilson, Chapman, Wylie, McCullough, Fyfe, Teelan, Thompson, Tulloch.

Subs: Moore, Isamaka, Mayse, Gibson, Traynor, Obhkhan, Annett.

Image source, BBC Sport

Dungannon Swifts boss Rodney McAree said his side have to "do our best to come away with something" in their trip to Ballymena United.

The Swifts picked up a much-needed win against Cliftonville last week to move up to 10th in the table.

And McAree is hopeful they can now start to string results together to continue to climb the table.

"We don’t want to be where we are in the table. We know it’s a hard league to take points in, but we have to go to the Showgrounds and do our best to come away with something," he said after his side's 2-1 win against Cliftonville last week.

“Ballymena are physically strong, very fit and have had a good start to the season. It’s going to be a tough game for us, but it’s our next opportunity to get points on the board."

Image source, Inpho

Barry Gray says his health is "good" and "everything's looking positive" after undergoing treatment for throat cancer last year.

The 45-year-old stepped away from his role as Newry City manager in April 2024 to focus on his recovery.

Given the all-clear in August last year, Gray is relieved the ordeal is behind him after a difficult period in his life.

"It spiralled everything in life out of control or everything we knew as normal disappeared for a period of time, but thankfully we're on the other side of it now and we're very fortunate to put it in the past," he told Sportsound.

"[My] health is good and everything's looking positive and that's all that matters."

Gray, who has also managed Cliftonville and had two spells as Warrenpoint boss, believes the diagnosis offered him a different perspective on life and the importance of family as football paled into insignificance.

"It shows you and everyone around you that nobody's untouchable. This situation and that illness is one of the good things about being stubborn at times. It gives you that 'won't be beat' attitude that we have in football, and it becomes an asset in real life," he explained.

"I always would have said when I went back through the door [after football], my kids would meet me at the door and they wouldn't care if I've won, lost or drawn. You're the same to them regardless.

"When you've something like this, it's with you all the time. There are no ups and downs and even today when it's gone, it's still there in my house and will be for a long time to come.

"I hope nobody ever has to feel what I've gone through in the past couple of years to see that reality.

"Take football for what it is. It's brilliant, it's there for the highs and lows but the most important is yourself and your nearest and dearest. They're the priority all the time, football is just a piece of your life."

Image source, Inpho

Watch highlights as Larne beat Carrick Rangers 2-0 in the Irish Premiership last weekend.

Dean Shiels
Former Coleraine and Dungannon Swifts boss on BBC Sportsound

Frustration in part that both teams are here, line-ups are out and goalkeepers had started their warm-up. The indication was the game would be going ahead but the health and safety came into it. There is an area of the pitch where the ball will not bounce.

Watch highlights as Dungannon Swifts beat nine-man Cliftonville 2-1 in the Irish Premiership at Stangmore Park last weekend.

Following a pitch inspection at the Oval, the top of the table game between Glentoran and Larne has been postponed.

Heavy rain in east Belfast in the last few hours has taken its toll on the playing surface.

Watch highlights as Jordan Stewart's second-half double helps unbeaten leaders Glentoran come from behind to inflict a first loss of the season on Coleraine at the Showgrounds last Friday.

Watch highlights as Crusaders draw 1-1 with Ballymena United in the Irish Premiership at Seaview last weekend.

Fraser Bryden's late penalty cancelled out Calvin McCurry's opener for the visitors.

Former Larne manager Nathan Rooney says he is proud of the part he played in laying the foundations for the club to prosper in the future and wished everyone at the club "a successful onward journey".

Rooney parted ways with the Inver Park club in August after guiding them through two rounds of qualifying in the Uefa Conference League, before losing on aggregate to Portuguese side Santa Clara.

His shock departure came just one game into the Irish League domestic season and after he had been reinstalled to the job in the summer.

The Englishman had been chosen as Tiernan Lynch's successor after the former Larne boss took up a new position as Derry City boss last November but the ex-Bruno's Magpies manager had to hand over the reins to assistant Gary Haveron after it was revealed that he did not hold the appropriate coaching licence to lead the club in European competition.

He temporarily became Larne's head of football but returned to take over the manager's post after enrolling on a Uefa Pro Licence course.

Haveron has occupied the position of interim manager since Rooney left by mutual consent and his team sit second in the Irish Premiership table after a run of six consecutive wins with six clean sheets.

"I leave my role as Head coach of Larne FC with a warm heart, proud of the recent successes and the introduction of a new brand of football that has already delivered excellent results," said Rooney in a personal statement.

"Over the past eleven months the players and technical staff have shown nothing but grit and determination, highlighted by some unforgettable results in Europe this summer against top opposition.

"Their spirit carried us through some difficult moments, including a challenging start last season, before finishing strongly to secure second place."

Rooney says the groundwork done in the summer paved the way for the club's positive start to the season.

"We went into the summer full of ambition, with a clear vision to bring the club back to where it belongs, and optimism remained high thanks to two key signings, a run of excellent performances and positive financial and commercial progress.

"Although I will not be at the club to see all of that work fully come to fruition, I am deeply proud to have set the foundations. I believe this season's targets will be met as the team now has the structure, style and mindset to succeed.

"To the players, staff and supporters, I wish you every success on the next stage of your journey under new leadership. Keep playing the right way - with humility, hard work, and joy - and never take a single day in this game for granted."

Image source, Inpho